Trust Hole Markings On New Acc Mass Back Carpet?

2000xp8 · Jan 12, 2016

So i'm installing a new carpet.
Replacing the factory one with the ACC mass back version.
Watching the LMR video and they suggest you lay the old carpet over the new one and mark the holes.
Which I did. Video appears to just use cheap non backed carpet.

But after removing the old carpet from on top of the new one I realized that the rubber backing on the mass back has all the holes engraved in the rubber. Which is probably good since my markings for the seats and seat belts didn't line up perfect.

I had planned on just doing some minor cutting for the trans and E brake, then going to the store and matching up bolts so I could put studs in all the other holes. Making them easy to find so I didn't have to risk a hole in the wrong spot.

If the markings on the rubber are accurate, I won't bother.
It will be plain old easier to just slice the premarked holes.

Any input?

CarMichael Angelo · Jan 12, 2016

Not ignoring, just don't have any experience with that to comment.

89oem · Jan 12, 2016

Maybe lay it in and see where it lays? What did ACC say?

Noobz347 · Jan 12, 2016

I wish I had better advice for you than to eye-ball it.

The last ACC carpet that I installed was in an SN95. We ended up cutting from the top with a utility knife and used a pretty expensive steam iron to get the carpet to "fit" correctly and lay down.

I can't tell you if lining the two up is going to work for you. We thought to try that initially but you really can't get the old and new carpet to really make a stretch-fit match.

Fit it into the car the best way that you can, make your marks/use push-pins to check your alignment. The extra backing will make things tougher but stick with it.

A carpet stretcher I think would be of great use but I didn't have one. I used a rubber mallet, the steam iron, and sometimes vice grips to pull on the ends.

The more nit picky you are, the more of a struggle it will be. heh Extra hands help too.

A5literMan · Jan 12, 2016

I'm watching also because I haven't even pulled my new carpet out of the box yet...

Noobz347 · Jan 12, 2016

might wanna lay it out while you're planning your next move. lol

FoxMustangLvr · Jan 12, 2016

I've done this twice now. I take the carpet out of the box immediately and let it lay flat on the floor for a couple days. I didn't have existing old carpet to lay the new carpet over and copy the holes over. I just laid the carpet in the car, lined it up as even as possible, then made my center cuts for the shifter and e-brake. I just make one slit for each and slide the carpet over, check near the doors to make sure the carpet is still centered, make additional trimming around the shifter and e-brake until the carpet lays flat. I then take exercise weights (10lb works best) and lay them throughout the floor to help lay the carpet down and form to the floor. Once you're confident your carpet is evenly laid out I poke a screw driver up from under the car for the rear seat bolt holes and push it through the carpet and then trim the rest of the hole out with a box cutter with a brand new blade. I use the screw driver to find the seat belt holes too. It's pretty easy to find them through the carpet. This carpet can be pretty stiff and not as compliant as you'd think so I think @Noobz347 idea of the steam iron is a great idea to soften the carpet and get it to lay down better.

In my honest opinion I think TMI shorts our cars carpet about 2" in width (from door sill to door sill).

MFE92 · Jan 12, 2016

I trusted the holes, and it caused the little rubber heel mat to be placed wrong, so not only have I worn a hole in the carpet because the heel mat isn't actually under my heels, it catches my foot and occasionally drives me batty.

NOS1543 · Jan 12, 2016

FoxMustangLvr said:
I've done this twice now. I take the carpet out of the box immediately and let it lay flat on the floor for a couple days. I didn't have existing old carpet to lay the new carpet over and copy the holes over. I just laid the carpet in the car, lined it up as even as possible, then made my center cuts for the shifter and e-brake. I just make one slit for each and slide the carpet over, check near the doors to make sure the carpet is still centered, make additional trimming around the shifter and e-brake until the carpet lays flat. I then take exercise weights (10lb works best) and lay them throughout the floor to help lay the carpet down and form to the floor. Once you're confident your carpet is evenly laid out I poke a screw driver up from under the car for the rear seat bolt holes and push it through the carpet and then trim the rest of the hole out with a box cutter with a brand new blade. I use the screw driver to find the seat belt holes too. It's pretty easy to find them through the carpet. This carpet can be pretty stiff and not as compliant as you'd think so I think @Noobz347 idea of the steam iron is a great idea to soften the carpet and get it to lay down better.

In my honest opinion I think TMI shorts our cars carpet about 2" in width (from door sill to door sill).

Agree that it needs to be laid out for a few days. I also let it lay out in the sun for a couple hours before I put it in the car.

I did this twice. The first time I used the standard carpet and the second time the mass back carpet. You made the right decision to go with the mass back carpet. I was very disappointed with the standard carpet.

The first time I laid the factory carpet over the replacement and transferred the holes. It didn't fit right. I wouldn't recommend cutting it outside of the car.

My strategy the second time was to start with smaller than necessary holes for the shifter and ebrake, and once those were lined up I moved on to the smaller holes.That way you can fit and align as you go. I wouldn't trust the markings that come on the carpet without verifying them in the car.

I think the carpet is a couple inches short as well. It doesn't fit perfectly but it's a tremendous improvement over the standard one.

2000xp8 · Jan 12, 2016

So basically, no don't trust them, lol.
No worries, my carpet has been laid out for about 3 weeks in a finished heated basement. Considering how it comes crunched up, id say its relatively wrinkle free.
Car is on my lift, so poking the holes won't be the end of the world.
Thanks for the replies.
I was tempted by the engravings, glad I didn't do it.

91TwighlightGT · Jan 12, 2016

I do not have the Mass back, just standard. In my situation the holes lined up nicely with what they had, however I did put the carpet into the car before I cut holes just to make sure. With the production tolerances of these cars, and the production tolerances of their carpet, you could have a problem if you blindly trust the holes.

Jersey Joe · Jan 13, 2016

I would also do it laying in the car, make small holes at first like said previously, what I do is to make sure i leave all of the bolts in for the seats and so on so I can easily feel them through the carpet to cut out. Can get pretty frustrating poking around through your new carpet looking for bolt holes.

Mr. Snrub · Jan 15, 2016

I tried trusting the holes.. effed mine up and it's a tad short on the passenger side. Sigh.

2000xp8 · Feb 18, 2016

So I had some time today decided to install the carpet finally.
I cut the trans and E brake holes, not the bolt holes yet because the console will cover any mess ups there.

One question, did you guys have some excess between the e brake and shifter? Seems I got it tight everywhere, except that spot. It's enough to push down on.
Behind and in front seem to be good.

BTW, the visible outer seat belt holes are way the hell off, glad I checked here before cutting.

FoxMustangLvr · Feb 18, 2016

Any excess between shifter and e-brake can be trimmed or not be since it's covered by the console. One thing to be sure of before cutting seat and seat belt holes is if you have plenty of carpet extending beyond your gas/brake pedals up to your firewall. You do not want to be short right there.

2000xp8 · Feb 18, 2016

FoxMustangLvr said:
Any excess between shifter and e-brake can be trimmed or not be since it's covered by the console. One thing to be sure of before cutting seat and seat belt holes is if you have plenty of carpet extending beyond your gas/brake pedals up to your firewall. You do not want to be short right there.

When I say excess, I mean like a hump with a void under it. I wouldn't say more needs to be trimmed, more like the hump flattened or just let it be? The console will cover it if necessary. Just seems odd that's the only place down the middle that has too much material.

I didn't trim anything up front, one little slice for some framing on the drivers side of the trans tunnel let the carpet go all the way forward.
The back I didn't want to trim, figured the more the merrier, but it overlapped the rear seat mount bars by too much and was causing issues, so I took about 2 inches off, which still left the back about 3 inches longer than the original.

Noobz347 · Feb 18, 2016

Recall that steam iron I mentioned before?

2000xp8 · Feb 18, 2016

Noobz347 said:
Recall that steam iron I mentioned before?

Crossed my mind, but then I wondered where all the extra material would go if I could get it hot enough. We have a pretty good steamer, I just don't think in the garage in the middle of winter even with a heater going it's going to cut it (not commercial grade). It sits flush in front of the shifter and behind the e brake. The extra would have to go side to side, not front to back.

Right now it looks pretty good. I'm not a perfectionist, just don't want it to come up short on the sills once I cut the bolt holes. I certainly don't want to do this twice.

Noobz347 · Feb 19, 2016

In my estimation, you really don't want to spend too much time with the surface of the iron on the carpet itself.

I firmly believe that a hot iron could melt the carpet given a good chance at it.

I used the iron (mostly steam) to heat up and relax the backing more than anything. That bubble isn't going to go just left.. or right... It should spread out fairly evenly and get absorbed a bit in all directions.

It more or less, just needs to relax a bit.

Noobz347 · Feb 19, 2016

Afterthought:

You might even try your wife's spray water bottle and hair dryer.

Trust Hole Markings On New Acc Mass Back Carpet?

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my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

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